Walt Disney World is taking steps to address increasing customer dissatisfaction and decreasing park attendance by implementing discounts on admission and hotel stays over recent months.
Starting in May, Disney introduced reduced prices on three-day ticket packages, allowing visitors to experience Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for as low as $89 per day, although tickets for Magic Kingdom are sold separately. These discounted rates will be available until September 24 and represent a significant decrease from the peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Additionally, Disney is working to lower overall trip costs to its Florida resort by offering discounts on its most affordable hotel options. Reservations at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can start at just $100 a night, depending on booking timing, reflecting discounts of up to 27% according to a Bloomberg analysis.
This summer, the parks also rolled out new dining packages, which aim to cut the cost of dining at Disney by 20% to 30%. The all-day meal passes are priced at $30 for children and $95 for adults and can be used for various meals and snacks throughout the parks. Reports indicate that Disney World is enhancing its quick meal selections, offering less expensive options for kids, and introducing more flexible dining policies as well.
Experts suggest that rising food costs within the parks have contributed to the drop in customer satisfaction. Len Testa, the president of TouringPlans.com, shared with Bloomberg that guest satisfaction ratings have plummeted from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining options to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa commends Disney’s cost-cutting measures, he warns that these actions may not truly reflect a commitment to affordability or guest satisfaction, noting that Disney has historically been willing to trade off a measure of customer approval for additional revenue.